Turkey: Mayor of Istanbul arrested in government crackdown
The Mayor of Istanbul has been arrested as part of a corruption investigation as the Turkish government intensify their crackdown on political dissent, raising questions over the legitimacy of Turkey’s democracy.
According to The National on March 19th, Ekrem Imamoglu, Istanbul’s Mayor, had his house surrounded by security personnel before he was taken into custody as part of a wider corruption investigation which saw over 100 people arrested, including journalists and businessmen.
Before his arrest, Imamoglu posted a series of messages on X where he said he would not give up and would continue resisting government pressure. He said “the will of the people cannot be silenced through intimidation or unlawful acts. I stand resolute,” reported by the BBC, before adding, “I stand firm in my fight for fundamental rights and freedoms.”
Imamoglu is a popular opposition politician from the centre-left Republican People’s Party (CHP) and is considered one of the strongest political rivals to current President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He was set to be nominated as his party’s candidate for the next elections.
His arrest came days after Istanbul University annulled his degree, a decision which could prevent him from running in Presidential elections. Revoked due to alleged ‘irregularities,’ Mr Imamoglu is challenging the decision. However, according to the Turkish Constitution, presidents must have a degree in order to hold office and the Imamoglu’s appeal to the constitutional court could take years to resolve.
Imamoglu called the move “legally baseless”, adding that universities “must remain independent, free from political interference, and dedicated to knowledge.”
The Mayor has also been accused of aiding the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) by forming an alliance with a Kurdish umbrella organization for the Istanbul municipal elections. The PKK is a registered terrorist organization in Turkey, the UK and US.
His arrest, as well as the severity of the charges, reflects the dramatic escalation in an ongoing crackdown on political opposition in Turkey as President Erdogan seeks to extend his term, a move he could achieve with a friendly parliament according to AP News.
The crackdown has followed significant losses by Erdogan’s ruling party in the local elections last year amid growing calls for early national elections. Erdogan has served as leader of Turkey since 2003 and his current term runs until 2028.
For Erdogan, control of Istanbul is pivotal for political success. Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party had controlled the capital for 25 years until Imamoglu was elected mayor in a historic blow. Despite the repeat of the election a few months later after the government challenged its legitimacy, the mayor retained his seat.
The state of democracy in Turkey has always been questioned with a ruler having been in power for over two decades. However, with Turkey moving into a greater power role on the global stage, with interests in Israel-Gaza, Syria, as well as weapons funding to Ukraine, the likelihood of the international community coming to the aid of the mayor of Istanbul seems nigh impossible.
Additionally, with the civic space restricted, including a four day ban on protests and demonstrations following Imamoglu’s arrest, the opportunity for the people of Turkey to resist the political crackdown also seems slim – raising further concern as to the healthiness of democratic growth.
The National, AP News, BBC, Maghrebi
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